SHIRLEY TILGHMAN (MOLECULAR BIOLOGY)

Before she became Princeton’s first female president, Shirley Tilghman was a pioneering molecular biologist whose accomplishments include being part of the group that cloned the first mammalian gene. During my first semester at Princeton, I was able to take her incredible freshman seminar on epigenetics and can attest to the fact that she’s a) an amazing teacher and b) brings very delicious cookies to class. After handing off the presidential reins to Christopher Eisgruber, she’s back this year co-teaching a class on Genetics and Public Policy.